James Birkett Trio @ Blaydon Jazz Club - Dec. 4

(© Roly Veitch)

James Birkett (guitar); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Andy Champion (double bass) + Benita Bull (vocals)

Early December, a Christmas party night of sorts. By design the publicity was all rather low key. Did it deter anyone? Not at all, long before the eight o'clock start the room was bursting at the seams, a crackling atmosphere, it was going to be one of those nights...

Blaydon Jazz Club and the Black Bull pub put on a buffet but we would have to wait until the interval. In the meantime, a pint of the local Firebrick Brewery's Cushy Butterfield (a 5.2% stout), a natter and, before we knew it, the James Birkett Trio took to the stage. 

Whether to weather the weather

Mon 04: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ People’s Kitchen, Bath Lane, Newcastle. From 5:30pm. On-street gig supporting the work of the People’s Kitchen charity. Wrap up warm! Donate!

Mon 04: Michael Young Trio w Lindsay Hannon @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 04: James Birkett Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £8.00.

Mon 04: Durham University Jazz Orchestra + Durham University Big Band @ Durham Castle DH1 3RW. 8:30pm. £6.00.; £5.00. concs; £4.00. DSM. ‘Jazzy Christmas’.

As you can see there's a lot going on tonight over a wide spectrum so, if you live  within the Durham City, Sunderland, Blaydon, Newcastle area, there's lots of good jazz to be heard. The buses and trains are running and it can't rain forever - can it? So button up your overcoat, start singing in the rain and don't get the blues when it rains - get a bus instead... Lance

The Central Bar Quartet: Lou Donaldson's Gravy Train @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Dec. 3

Jamie Toms (alto sax); Alan Law (keyboards); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A wintry December Sunday afternoon. FA Cup ties and the draw for the third round on the telly*, snooker too. It had all the makings of a 'stay-at-home' kind of day. Well, for some. Others had better things to do...heading to Gateshead's Central Bar being one of them. 

It had been a while since Jamie Toms put in an appearance on Half Moon Lane. This afternoon, setting to one side his trusty tenor, our Strictly Smokin' man opted to play alto sax in recreating Lou Donaldson's 1961 Blue Note Gravy Train album. As Toms, Alan Law, Mick Shoulder and John Bradford opened with the album's title track all seats were taken. Yes, a second consecutive full house.  

The Mark Toomey Quintet @ Dorman's Jazz Club Middlesbrough - Nov.30

Mark Toomey (alto sax); Jeremy McMurray (piano); Paul Donnelly (guitar); Peter Ayton (bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

This guest band, comprising of some of the finest jazz musicians from Teesside and the surrounding area, provided an evening of interesting and exciting jazz on a very cold winter's night. 

Mark's original compositions, several with a distinctive Parker influence,  clearly showed his great skills and talent as a composer.

Do You Have The Time?, a nice swinging blues with a fine alto intro and improvised solos all round, set the style for the evening, clearly showing the quintet's high standard of musicianship.

Paul Skerritt w. the Danny Miller Big Band: "A Night of Christmas" @ the Westovian Theatre, South Shields Dec. 2

(© Russell)

December 2 and we're in the home straight heading towards Christmas Day. You could tell it was that time of year as all the songs were about snow or Santa Claus, the band, in the later stages, wore Santa hats and Paul Skerritt wore polka dot underpants (outside of his trousers I hasten to add - this was all good clean fun!).

It was most definitely a family show with singalongs, corny jokes and much onstage hokum twixt Skerritt and bandleader Miller.

Preview: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe: Thursday – December 7

Jenny Lingham, David Edgar, Carrie McCullock, Paul Close, Jen Errington (individual vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums)

A bit different this time, the Indigo Voices gig, as it's to be downstairs in the Globe and it's on the first Thursday of the month, not the second. Same high standard of performance from the singers and accompanists, Alan, who likes to accompany singers, Paul, the go-to musician for your upright bass needs, and popular drummer Rob Walker. And only one Xmas song to be included, which is a pleasant change at this time of year! Get yourself along at 7.45pm sharp, only £5 payable on the door. Lots of space for a larger audience downstairs. Ann Alex

The set list includes: Love me or Leave Me; How High the Moon; Night Life; In the Still of the Night and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. 

Aycliffe Radio: Jazz Time - Sundays 6.30-8.00 pm (repeat Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm)

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen/

 Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & Darlington Area.

Playlist 03/12/23. (Repeated Tuesday 05/12/23)

Requests from Hot Club du Nord Gig: George Shearing, Birkett & Fisk, Hot Fingers, Gary Burton, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Corea, Duke Ellington.

News from Scotland: SNJO.

Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - Dec. 1

Jim McBriarty (alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, vocals); Alan Marshall (tenor sax, clarinet); Neville Hartley (trombone, vocals); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Alan Rudd (double bass); Jimmy Robinson (drums); Olive Rudd (vocals)

A classic winter scene greeted Classic Swing in Cullercoats. Snow on the ground, more of the white stuff threatening to fall from the skies, it was heartening to see such a good turn out at the Crescent Club. It takes more than a cold snap to deter the hardy jazz fan. 

SING, SING SWING! PETE LONG & HIS GOOD MEN @ Cadogan Hall, London - Nov. 23

(Guest review). When ‘Don’t Be That Way’ was stomped off on a swinging night at Cadogan Hall the audience was instantly transported back to an historic concert held at Carnegie Hall, New York City on January 16, 1938.

It is a date emblazoned in history, when jazz was first presented on a concert stage and accepted as a fully fledged music form worthy of critical scrutiny. Benny Goodman’s Orchestra was the main attraction that wintry night, along with a host of guest star soloists courtesy of Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle - Nov.30

Merlin Roxby (piano)

The last day of November, a cold, dark evening, winter on its way, let's go to a gig. Prohibition Bar on Pink Lane is the kind of place where they know what your tipple is, the bartender enquiring: The usual? It was tempting to reply: Set 'em up Joe.  As Merlin Roxby knocked out some ragtime tunes, Prohibition Bar proprietor Mitch decked the place will baubles and such like. Yes, it's almost that time of year.